Grading Regulations, Policies and GDPR

The following regulations apply to the Assessment of modules in UCD:

4.4 The following regulations apply to individual modules. However, it may be appropriate,
notwithstanding the self-contained nature of modules, to group a number together for
the purposes of assessment or to permit the assessment for one module to be applied
to another where the learning outcomes are equivalent or complementary and where all
the relevant modules are contained within the same trimester or trimesters.

4.5 The assessment strategy for a module will, as far as practicable, be considered and
planned in relation to overall assessment load of the programmes in which the module
is specified. The assessment strategy will include one or more components of
assessment. A component of assessment may be a single assessment task (such as a
terminal written examination, a major essay or a project) or may comprise a number of
separate assessment tasks of a given type (such as a series of laboratory reports, tutorial
assessments or short tests).

4.6 A module should make use of an appropriate range of methods of assessment. Where
end- of-trimester examination is used as a means of assessment, an appropriate balance
between formal end-of-trimester examinations and in-trimester assessment should be
achieved.

4.7 In developing formative assessment, Module Coordinators shall ensure that students
have opportunities to:
a) self-monitor and/or learn from otherstudents;
b) receive feedback; and
c) practice assessments, and see examples of unfamiliar tasks – e.g. software, virtual
learning environment (VLE) functionality, question type – prior to submission.

4.8 The assessment strategy for a module shall be specified and approved by the
responsible School or Board of Studies and shall be reviewed from time to time as
required by Academic Council. Assessment strategies may not be changed during the
course of the module unless the Vice Principal for Teaching and Learning in the relevant
College grants an exemption based on exceptional circumstances.

4.9 Participation may be an assessed component of a module where a clear assessment
methodology and set of assessment criteria is provided in advance to students; such
forms of assessment should be made explicit in the assessment strategy of the module.
Grades must not be awarded solely for attendance.

4.10 All teaching and assessment of modules within programmes leading to an academic
award of the University shall be in the English language, apart from the following
exceptions:
a) Irish modules, foreign language modules and any modules on a programme with a
significant foreign language curriculum specialisation.
b) Modules provided and assessed by another institution associated with a student
exchange or collaborative programme and approved by the relevant University
committee/board.

4.11 The volume of assessment should be appropriate to the learning outcomes and the
length of a written in-person or online terminal examination shall not exceed two hours.
In instances where the length of a written terminal examination must exceed two hours
to meet the requirements of a Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body, this can be
approved by the Governing Board and must be detailed in the Module Descriptor. The
Academic Council or its relevant Committee may request a report of modules where the
terminal examination exceeds the permitted two hours.

4.12 Module Coordinators must ensure that records of assessment are kept in a safe,
accurate and comprehensive manner, in compliance with both established School
processes and the University’s retention policy and procedures.

4.13 Module Coordinators must enter component grades into University systems not later
than 20 working days (unless the Vice Principal for Teaching and Learning in the relevant
College grants an exemption based on exceptional circumstances) after the assessment
submission for all work submitted within the time specified in the assessment strategy,
or the date specified by Academic Council or its relevant committee for the final
submission of grades for the trimester, whichever comes first.

4.14 A student is responsible for the academic integrity of any assessment they submit.
Module Coordinators shall take all appropriate steps to evaluate the academic integrity
of any assessment submitted by students. The Head of School shall ensure that robust
procedures in accordance with University policies and procedures are in place to address
any alleged breaches of academic integrity.

4.15 Assessment in the University shall be graded according to University approved grade
scales and procedures.
Where assessment components are objective and quantitative, a suitable numerical scale
may be used to establish performance in the component. The outcomes of a module shall
be reported as a module grade using the conversion process established by Academic
Council or its relevant committee.

4.16 Grading must be according to the module assessment criteria and students must be
made aware of those criteria in advance. Grading scales must be transparent and clearly
communicated to students in advance of the assessment.

4.17 The School shall ensure that an appropriate process is in place for grading all forms of
assessment. The process shall ensure that all involved in the delivery of the module have
an appropriate role in grading.

4.18 To assure consistency and fairness assessment processes should include internal
moderation processes. Where appropriate, this may include second grading. The Head
of School is responsible for ensuring that there are internal moderation processes in
place.
Following the completion of the module, the School shall assure the quality of the grading
process, ensure the timely collation of all grades awarded for the assessment components
and ensure that the final grades for a module are entered into University systems as soon
as possible and no later than the deadline specified by the Academic Council or its relevant
committee.

4.19 Grading of assessments shall be undertaken by an approved intern examiner. Academic
Council may delegate the approval of intern examiners to a committee or governing
board as appropriate. The Governing Board will provide an annual report to Academic
Council or its relevant committee indicating the number of internal examiners approved.

4.20 The Head of School is responsible for ensuring that the provisional component grades
determined by Module Coordinators for individual modules are subsequently validated
by the School within such a period of time as the Academic Council or its relevant
committee may specify. Provisional grades are indicative only and should be
communicated to students in line with the policies and procedures approved by the
Academic Council or its relevant committee.

4.21 Each School will establish a School Modular Examination Committee (SMEC). This
Committee is responsible for the review, completeness and validation of all grades for
each module provided by that School and may make appropriate adjustments, in
accordance with the policies and procedures approved by the Academic Council or its
relevant committee. Where a School coordinates modules in different subjects, or
coordinates a large number of modules, the Head of School may convene a number of separate SMECs.
A SMEC must have the range of expertise required to properly examine all modules
considered by the Committee and should comprise the module coordinators, the Heads of
Subject (as appropriate) and others as deemed appropriate by the Head of School. The
grades for each module in a given School must be agreed by a SMEC as soon as practicable
after the completion of the module and its assessments and within such a period of time as
the Academic Council or its relevant committee may specify.

4.22 The following regulations apply to assessment components of a module, as outlined in
the assessment strategy for that module. Assessment component grades cumulatively
contribute to the overall module grade awarded to the student.
The following scale should be used for assessment component grades

Where an assessment component cannot be assessed at this level of detail, the results may
be returned as pass/fail and the following scale should be used.

4.23 Where a student receives a provisional failing grade for an assessment component, a
student may be offered an additional opportunity for that assessment component prior
to confirmation of the component grade by the SMEC. Such an additional assessment
opportunity is referred to hereafter as an in-module repeat of an assessment
component and must be provided for in the module descriptor.
Where an in-module repeat of assessment component is availed of, a passing grade
awarded for submitted work shall be reduced in accordance with the following scale.

Where a student receives a failing grade for an in-module repeat attempt of an assessment
component, the original provisional failing grade for the assessment component is retained.

4.24 A School may require that an assessment activity of a module must be passed to pass
that module. Such an activity is described hereafter as a must pass component and must
meet the following criteria:

a) such a component will contribute at least:

i. twenty percent to the overall grade for the module; or
ii. ten percent to the overall grade for the module in the context of a
competency-based assessment required by a professional, statutory or
regulatory body;

b) an in-module repeat opportunity to repeat this component shall be provided prior
to confirmation of the grade by the School Modular Examination Committee; and

c) the use of must pass components and the approach to, and timing of, in-module
repeats for those components, must be specified in the module descriptor.

4.25 The final aggregate result of assessments for each student enrolled to a module should
be returned as a single letter grade according to the following scheme. The Academic
Council has agreed and published detailed grade descriptors.
The following scale should be used for module grades.

The final aggregate result of assessments for each student enrolled to a module should
be returned as a single letter grade according to the following scheme. The Academic
Council has agreed and published detailed grade descriptors.

The following scale should be used for module grades.

Where module outcomes cannot be assessed at this level of detail, the results may be
returned as pass/fail, or distinction/pass/fail, and the following scale should be used.

Where a module grade is awarded as part of a remediation attempt at a module, the grade
scales and suffixes outlined in section 5 of the Academic Regulations shall be used.

4.26 The following grades may also be approved by the Programme Examination Board to
signify particular circumstances or outcomes. This grade scale applies to overall module
grades.

(see Other Module Grades (pdf) for more detail.)

4.27 Students shall receive feedback on both formative and summative assessments.
Feedback shall:
a) reflect the discourse and pedagogy of the subject;
b) be sufficient and frequent enough to support future learning;
c) be specific and encourage the development of autonomouslearning;
d) be presented so that students can act on it and adapt their approaches; and
e) enable students to set and achieve short-term and long-term goals.

4.28 Feedback should be clear and understandable, focused on the promotion of learning,
and be structured around goals, criteria and standards. Feedback can be derived from
many sources faculty, tutors, student peers, self and others – and may be given in
written or oral form, whether formally in a one-to-one meeting or informally in a
lecture/tutorial/practical setting.

4.29 Students have a responsibility to consider feedback given on their work, to seek to
understand it, and to act on it.

4.30 Feedback on assessment must be provided according to the specification in the module
descriptor and no later than twenty working days after the deadline for submission of
each piece of assessed work, excepting work submitted late or submitted as part of the
final assessment component of the module.

a) Where feedback cannot be provided within the time specified in the module
descriptor, the Vice Principal for Teaching and Learning in the relevant College may
grant an exemption based on exceptional circumstances and the module
coordinator must contact students directly, in writing, to inform them when the late
feedback will be provided ensuring that it is provided in time for students to make
use of it prior to summative assessment.

5.1 A module is completed when a student has been academically assessed in all of the
assessed components relating to the module and a module grade is confirmed by the
Programme Examination Board.

5.2 When the Programme Examination Board confirms that a student has achieved the
learning outcomes associated with a module or combination of modules by passing all
must pass components and being awarded a minimum D-, P or PR module grade, the
student:

b) is deemed to have passed that module or combination of modules;
c) is awarded credit;
d) is exempt from further assessment of those learning outcomes; and
e) may not repeat the module or resit the assessment.

5.3 Where a student receives a failing grade (that is, has been awarded a grade of FM, NM, or
ABS) they may:

a) select another module that is compatible with fulfilling the programme outcomes;
or
b) make a further attempt to pass the module, called a module remediation attempt.

Module Remediation

5.4 The following options for module remediation are available.

5.5 a) In-module Resit: Where a student receives a provisional failing grade for a module, the
student may avail of an in-module resit prior to confirmation of the module grade by the
Programme Examination Board if an in-module resit is provided for in the module
descriptor.

i) Where a student passes an in-module resit attempt itshall be graded as follows:

ii) Where a student receives a failing grade for an in-module resit attempt the original
provisional failing grade for the module is retained.

b) Resit assessment: A resit assessment offers students a second and separate
opportunity to demonstrate that they have achieved the major learning outcomes  associated with a module. Re-attendance is not required.

The resit assessment is a simple pass-fail instrument and need only be the minimum assessment required to determine
whether or not the student has satisfactorily achieved the major learning outcomes of the
module. The resit assessment does not have to be identical to the assessment associated
with the original offering of the module, and may be significantly different, nor do the
different components of the assessment need to be reproduced and repeated in full.

i. There will only be one resit assessment for each offering of a module.
ii. A resit assessment will not be available where an in-module resit is offered or
where it is possible to repeat the module in one of the two subsequent trimesters.
iii. The resit may be a single terminal examination and/or may require the submission
of coursework or other assessment tasks at specified times during the trimester.
iv. The original assessment and the resit assessment are entirely separate, and grades
for components of the original assessment will not carry forward to the resit
assessment. However, the resit assessment may take account of learning
outcomes already achieved by an individual student.

Where a module grade is awarded as part of a resit attempt at the module the results are
returned as pass/fail and suffixed with (R) to indicate it was achieved as a resit attempt at
the module. The following grade scale should be used for resit attempts at a module.

c) Repeat the module: A repeat is the student’s opportunity for a second attempt at the
module through reattendance when it is next offered. The following grade scale should be
used for repeat attempts at a module.

Where an in-module resit is not provided, module remediation opportunities must be
available within one of the two subsequent trimesters after the module has been delivered
unless the module is a clinical teaching module, a field-based module, or a work placement,
where remediation within the two subsequent trimesters is not possible

Introduction

2.1 This section outlines the awards made by University College Dublin and reflect the diversity
and range of educational opportunities provided. Programme award levels are drafted with
reference to:

a) the Irish National Framework of Qualifications(NFQ);
b) the European Qualifications Framework;
c) the European Higher Education Area ‘Bologna Framework’;
d) Quality and Qualifications Ireland; and
e) the requirements of professional, statutory or regulatory bodies associated with
particular programmes of study, some of which grant a licence to practise.

2.2 The Irish National Framework of Qualifications is a framework through which all learning
achievements may be measured and related to each other in a coherent way. These levels
are described in terms of general (non-subject-specific) indicators of a person’s knowledge,
skill and competence (i.e. standards for their learning achievements). The University confers
the following awards:

a) Major Awards: a named award on the National Framework of Qualifications
b) Minor Awards: partial completion of the outcomes of the Major Award
c) Special Purpose Awards: standalone award with a distinct identity which reflects
their clearly defined purpose
d) Supplemental Awards: learning that is additional to a Major award

2.3 The University offers awards for its taught and research programmes which are aligned to
the National Framework of Qualifications. Each award requires the accumulation of credits
and/or the completion of a programme of study and/or research as outlined in the
University Awards Table for Taught Programmes and for Research Programmes.

2.4 With the exception of grade neutral awards, awards are classified based on an award Grade
Point Average (GPA).

2.5 University Awards Table – Taught Programmes

2.6 Previously approved award types which are not included in Table 2.5, but are offered by the
University, may continue to be offered subject to review by the Academic Council or its
relevant Committee. New programmes should only offer those awards listed in Table2.5

2.7 The University shall provide for aegrotat and posthumous awards in line with policies and
procedures approved by the Academic Council or its relevant committee.

2.8 The Award GPA will be determined by the Programme Examination Board applying one of
the following award GPA rules:

a) Final stage only – The award GPA is the weighted average of the grade points
awarded upon passing the modules or other credit-bearing learning activities that
satisfy the requirements of the final stage. The grade points are weighted by credit
value.

b) Final and penultimate stages (equal weight) – The award GPA is the weighted average of the grade points awarded upon passing the modules or other credit bearing learning activities that satisfy the requirements of the final and penultimate stages. The grade points are weighted by credit value.

c) Final and penultimate stages (stage-weighted) – The award GPA is the weighted
average of the grade points awarded upon passing the modules or other creditbearing learning activities that satisfy the requirements of the final and penultimate stages. The grade points are weighted by the credit value, and by a factor of seven for the final stage and a factor of three for the penultimate stage.

d) Three-stage weighted – For programmes with greater than 3 stages – The award GPA is the weighted average of the grade points awarded upon passing the modules or other credit-bearing learning activities that satisfy the requirements of the final three stages of a programme. The grade points are weighted by the credit value, and by a factor of five for the final stage, a factor of three for the penultimate stage, and by a factor of two for the antepenultimate stage.

2.9 Where grades are weighted across multiple stages, grade neutral credit shall not alter the
stages that contribute to the calculation of award GPA nor the weightings of the GPA rule.

2.10 Where a programme specification allows for modules to be taken in a different higher
education institution, and where grade equivalence tables are agreed and published in
advance, such modules may contribute to stage GPA and Award GPA as detailed by the
Governing Board in the programme specification.

2.11 Where it deviates from the above award GPA rules, the award GPA rule for an exit award
requires the approval of Academic Council or its relevant committee.

See the Assessment Code of Practice page on the UCD University Secretariat document library.

See the Academic Regulations 2024-2025 page on the UCD University Secretariat document library.

See the Examination Regulations page on the UCD University Secretariat document library.

See the Extenuating Circumstances page on the UCD University Secretariat document library.

See the Late Submission of Coursework page on the UCD University Secretariat document library.

See the Recognition of Prior Learning- RPL page on the UCD University Secretariat document library.

See the Register of Graduate Taught Pathway Programmes page on the UCD University Secretariat document library.

See the Theses in Graduate Taught Programmes Policy page on the UCD University Secretariat document library.